At a glance: Lebanon

Aya – one child, one of one million Syrian refugee children

Devastating conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has forced a million children to flee their homeland. Eight-year-old Aya is one of them.
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By Priyanka Pruthi

Devastating conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has forced one million children to flee their homeland. Eight-year-old Aya is one of them.

BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon, 22 August 2013 – Her smile is contagious. She’s energetic, she's playful and she’s talented. Eight-year-old Aya hasn’t been to school in two years, and she is eager to learn. Every day, she takes lessons in reading and writing from her older sister Essaf in the makeshift tent in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley – a valley crowded by a steady stream of Syrian refugees – that’s been their home for far too long.

An education on hold

“Aya is the only one of my children who hasn’t been educated, along with my daughter who is disabled. All the others were educated,” explains Aya’s father Mohamed. As a matter of fact, Essaf has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science.

Syrian refugee children living in Jordan's Za'atari refugee camp share their memories of home, and their aspirations.
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“I want to be a doctor so I can help children,” says Aya. “If they come to see me and they don’t have money, I will give them medicine, a prescription and an injection so they can get better.”

Aya was able to go to school in Lebanon briefly, but the transportation cost of US$20 per month was unaffordable for the family. Her brothers work in vegetable fields to help them get by, but they rely heavily on the food vouchers provided by UNHCR. Aya is left with no choice but to stay home.

A shameful milestone

The number of Syrian children like Aya forced to flee their homes has now reached one million. “This one millionth child refugee is not just another number,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “This is a real child ripped from home, maybe even from a family, facing horrors we can only begin to comprehend.

“We must all share the shame,” said Mr. Lake, “because, while we work to alleviate the suffering of those affected by this crisis, the global community has failed in its responsibility to this child. We should stop and ask ourselves how, in all conscience, we can continue to fail the children of Syria.”

Children fleeing, children targeted

It’s a failure of colossal proportions. Children make up more than half of all refugees from the Syrian conflict. More than 768,000 Syrian child refugees are under the age of 11.

Most have arrived in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. More than 3,500 of these children have crossed the borders either unaccompanied or separated from their families.

Children make up half of all refugees from the Syrian conflict. More than 768,000 Syrian child refugees are under the age of 11.

Children trapped in the Syrian Arab Republic have been targets of horrific violence. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, some 7,000 children have been killed during the conflict. More than 2 million children have been internally displaced within the Syrian Arab Republic.

On 21 August, children were among those reported to have been killed by alleged use of chemical weapons near Damascus. “The reports of attacks on civilians, presumably including children, on the outskirts of Damascus are deeply disturbing. Children must be protected, and those who fail to protect them will be held accountable,” said UNICEF.

One of one million

UNICEF and UNHCR have been supporting millions of affected families since the war broke out. From birth registration, vaccinations, sanitation and education to health facilities, the agencies have mobilized resources to reach those in need. More than 222,000 people have been provided with water supplies, nearly 167,000 refugee children have received psychosocial assistance and more than 118,000 children have been able to maintain their education inside and out of formal schools.

This is an enormous humanitarian operation. And it’s not enough. More and more children become refugees every day, and host countries are straining.

Aya is just 8 years old now. Soon, she will begin to question her situation. She is one of a million children who have yet to comprehend the consequences of their loss, one of one million Syrian child refugees.